Feather-debarbing machine.



S. COOPER.

FEATHER DEBARBING MACHINE. APPLICATION mm SEPT-5,1916.

Patented Sept. 17 1918.

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S. COOPER.

FEATHER DEBARBING MACHINE. APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT-5,1916.

1,279,275. PatentedSept. 17, 1918'.

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S. COOPER.

FEATHER DEBARBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-5,1916.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3 STATES IATENT FFICE.

SIMON coornn, on NEW YORK, n. Y., ASSIGNOR To TI-IE WARREN rna'rnnnnolvn COMPANY, or THREE OAKS, MICHIGAN, A CO PO ATION OF oHIGA v.

FEATHER-DEBARBING ,MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 5, 1916. Serial No. 118,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON Coornn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feather- Debarbing Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to a feather debarb ing machine, that is, a machine for cuttnig the barbs from the quills of feathers.

The quill part of feathers is being used extensively for various purposes, as for example in collar supports, wearing apparel stays, etc, and before the quills can be cut up to be used for this purpose the barbs must be removed. Heretofore this has been accomplished by cutting with ordinary knives or knife mechanism, but this procedure has not proven to be very satisfactory. The ob ect of my invention is therefore to produce a machine into which feathers can be rapidly fed and their barbs accurately and speedily cut off. As different feathers have quills of different and varying thicknesses, provision is made in the machine for automatically allowing and adjusting for such variation while the cutting is going on.

A .machine embodying the various features of my invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view,

Fig. 2 is a plan view, i

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on plane 33, Fig. 2, and V V Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the feather propelling and barb cutting heads showing their operation on the feather.

Mounted on the machine foundation 10 are the supporting frames 11 and 12. Mounted on the tops of these frames are journal box supporting structures 13 and 13. As the construction and arrangement ofthese structures and the mechanism therein areidentical, I shall ,describe the mechanism in the structure 13 by ordinary reference numerals and shall apply primed referencenumeralsjto correspending-parts in the structure 13. At the lower part of, the structure 13is the ournal box section 14 in which is journaled a shaft 15 whose axis is inclined with its outer end below the hori zontal. At its outer end the shaft carries aconical cutting head 16 and atits inner end carries the bevel gear 17 and also the transmission gear 18. Above the journal box section 14. is the journal box section 19 in which is journaled a shaft 20 whose axisi s inclined with its outer end above the horizontal. The shaft 20 carries at its outer end the conical cutting head 21, and secured to its inner end is the gear 22 which meshes with the gear 18 on shaft 15. The shafts 15 and 20in the structure 13 have inclined 21XQ$ with their outer ends respectively below and above the horizontal so that the cutting heads 16 and 21 are opposed to each other but 'With'their axes at angles with each other. The opposed faces of the respective cutting heads being at right angles with the respective axes, these faces will be at angles with each other, the faces of the lower heads being closer together at the top and those of the upper heads being closer together at the bottom. By means of suitable mechanism which will be presently described the lower heads are rotated with their tops moving rearwardly and the upper heads with their bottoms also moving rearwardly. In operating the ma chine the operator stands in frontthereof and inserts feathers one by one into the trough between the upper heads, the feathers being held with their barbs extending later ally and the'ends of the feathers are fed'into the trough and when they reach the bottom of the trough they Will be engaged by the opposed faces of the upper heads and will be propelled rearwardly with the quills between the fouropposededges ofthe upper and lower cutting heads with the barbs the-n projecting laterally in the spaces between the upper and lower heads. The outer, diam.- eters of the heads are such that the edges 23 and 23 of the lower heads engage against the conical surface of the heads 21 and 21 and the feather barbs being received between the cutting edges andthe conical faces will be cut from the quills as they pass through the machine. r

Provision is made to cause the engagement between the cutting edges and the co-ni-' cal surfaces to be yielding. I have therefore made the upper journal boxes 19 and 19 vertically m-ovable to the journal boxeslt and let. Referring to the structure 13 an arm 24 extends to the right from the journal box,

19 and is hinged to the end of the bracket 25 extending to the right from the structure 5 5 secured to the front ends of the'shafts 35 and 13. The compression spring 2-6 is inserted between the top 27 of the structure 13 and the journal box 19, the pressure of this spring being adjustable by means of the set screw 28. In the structure'13 the arrangement is the same, the spring 26 pressing against the journal box 19. These springs tend to keep the conical faces of the upper cutting heads against the cutting edges of the lower heads, the compression being sufficient to insure cutting through of the barbs as the feathers pass through the machine.

As different feathers have quills of different and varying diameters provision is also made to automatically adjust for such changes. The frame 11 on which the structure 13is mounted is rigidly secured to the machine base 10, but the frame 12 which supports the structure 13 and the mechanism therein is pivoted to swing about a vertical axis. As shown, the frame 12 extends laterally upwardly from a bearing sleeve 29 which is pivoted on the stud 30 extending upwardly from the machine base. An arm 31 extends forwardly from the sleeve 29 and a tension spring 32 connected between the end of the arm and a post 33 on the machine frame tends to rotate the sleeve and to swing the frame 12 to force the cutting heads 16 and 21- against the heads 16 and 21, an adjustable stop 3st limiting such swing. With this arrangement as the diameters or thickness of quills vary the pivoted arrangement of the frame 12 will permit the opposed cutting heads to move laterally'toward'or away from each other, the spring 32 being of sufficient strength to hold the heads toward each other with suiiicient strengthto properly clamp and propel the feathers through the machine during cutting off of the barbs, Any suitablemechanism may be provided for rotating the cutting heads. As shown, ross shafts 35 and 35 are journaled in the supporting structures 13 and 13 respectively, theshaft 35 carrying a bevel gear 36 meshing with the gear 17 at the front thereof and the shaft 35 supporting a bevel gear 36 meshing with the bevel gear 17 at the rear thereof. At the sides of the machine base 10 standards 37 and 37 are supported and at their upper ends-journal the cross shafts 3S and 38 to whose front ends are secured the sprocket wheels 39 and 39 respectively which are in a-linement with sprocket wheels 40 and -10 35 respectively; At the front of the machine base and at the sides thereof, brackets 41 and lltsupport shafts" -12-and r2. whiclf carry sprocket wheels 4:3 and do respectively. The shaft 42 is a driving shaft and has secured thereto the drive pulley i l which is con nected by a beltwith a suitable driving en gine or counter shaft. Around the various sprocket wheels passes a chain 455. As

means ofthe transmission gears 18, 18, 22 I and 22 the upper cutting heads will be rotated with their front faces traveling downwardly (Fig. 1). lVith such rotation feathers inserted from the front of the machine will be drawn rearwardly.

The cutting heads maybe formed integral with their respective supporting shafts, or as indicated in Fig. 3, they may be separate and seated on the reduced end sections ll) of the r pective shafts and locked thereto by nuts 48 engaging the threaded ends of the shaft.

The machine 1 have described is very e'liicient, feathers fed thereto being rapidly propelled and the barbs cut therefrom and the debarbed quills thrown out. By the adjust able arrangement which enables the cutting heads to yield vertically and laterallythe machine operates efficiently on all sizes of feathers, the cutting head's following the various thicknesses of the quills and cutting off the barbsclose thereof so that the debarbed quills are ready for the machines in which they are split up into sections or strips. 2

I do not, of course, desire to be limited to the exact constructions, arrangements'and operations described as modifications can no doubt be made which would still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows: i

1. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed bearing structures, upper and lower shafts journaledfin each rollers secured to the respective ends of the shafts between the bearing structures, the rollers of one pair being separateda greater distance than the rollers of the'other pair with the base edges of the one pair cooper ating with the conicalsurfaces of-the other pair'to cut barbs from feathers passed between the upper and lower pairs during rotation of the rollers, and means forrotating the upper and lower shaftsin opposite-directions. 1' e e V y *2. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed bearing structures, an'upper and a lowersh aft journaled in each structure, anupperand a lower: pair of conical rollers 'between'lthe bearing structures secured to, the respective, ends of the upper and lower shafts, the uppershaftsb ing at angles with each other whereby to provide a guide slot betweenthe outer faces of the opposed upper rollers'ffor feathers,

ly a

eaters distance to bring, their base edges o posite the conical surfaces of the upper ro lers to cooperate therewith to cut barbs from feathers fed in between the upper rollers, and means for simultaneously rotating said upper and lower shafts in opposite directions.

3. In a. feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed bearing structures, an upper and a lower shaft journaled in each structure, an upper and a lower pair of conical rollers between the bearing structures secured to the respective ends ofthe upper and lower shafts, the upper shafts be ing at angles with each other and the lower shafts whereby to form V-shaped guide slots between the opposed rollers for feathers and to provide horizontally extendin spaces between the upper and lower rollers for the feather barbs, one pair of rollers being spaced laterally farther. apart than the other rollers to bring their base edges-opposite the conical surfaces of such other rollers whereby the barbs will be cut from the feathers by such edges during rotation of the rollers, and means for simultaneously rotating the upper and lower shafts.

4. In a feather debarbing machine, the

combination of opposed journal boxes,

shafts journaled in said journal boxes, rollers secured to the projecting ends of said shafts, one rollerhaving a cutting edge 01)- posed to the surface of the other roller for cutting off barbs of feathers passed between the rollers, and means for yieldingly pressing said journal boxes together to thereby yieldingly press the roller cutting edge and surface together, and means for rotating said shafts.

5. I11 a feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed supporting structures, upper and lower journal boxes on each structure, upper and lower shafts in the upper and lower journal boxes of each structure, upper and lower rollers mounted on the projecting ends of the shafts between the structures, said lower rollers having cutting edges for cooperating with the surfaces of the upper rollers to cut barbs from feathers passed between the rollers, means for rotating the upper and lower shafts, and means' yieldingly pressing the upper journal boxes toward the lower journal boxes to yieldingly press the journal boxes together.

6. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed supporting structures, upper and lower journal boxes of each structure, upper and lower shafts in the upper and lowerjournal boxes of each structure, upper and lower rollers mounted on the projecting ends of the shafts between the structures, said lower rollers having cutting edges for cooperating with the surfaces of the upper rollers to cut barbs from feath ers passed between the rollers, means for rotating the upper and lower shafts, and

means whereby one of said supporting structures is laterally yieldable whereby to allow lateral separation of the rollers to accommodate the varying thicknesses of feather stems. V

7. Ina feather debarbing machine, the combination of, opposed'supporting structures, upper and lower journal boxes on each structure, upper and lower shafts in the upper and lower journal boxes of each structure, upper and lower rollers mounted on the projecting ends of the shafts between the structures, said lower rollers having cutting edges for cooperating with the surfaces of the upper rollers to cut barbs from feathers passed between the rollers, means for rotat ing the upper and lower shafts, means yieldingly pressing the upper journal boxes toward the lower journal boxes to yieldingly press the boxes together, one of said sup porting structures being pivoted to swing laterally, and yielding means tending to hold the pivoted structure toward the other structure to keep the opposed rollers together but permitting lateral separation of the rollers to compensate for the varying thicknesses of the stems of feathers passing between the rollers.

8. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of opposed supporting structures, upper and lower journal boxes in each structure, upper and lower shafts in the upper and lower journal boxes of each supporting structure, upper and lower conical rollers between the structures and secured to the projecting ends of the respective shafts, said upper and lower shafts being inclined and with their roller supporting ends farthest away from the horizontal whereby to provide V-shaped guide ways between the opposed rollers for feathers and to provide spaces between the upper and lower rollers c for the barbs of feathers, the edges of one set of opposed rollers being offset with reference to the edges of the other rollers'to cooperate with the conical surfaces of such other rollers to cut the barbs from feathers, means for simultaneously rotating the upper and lower shafts, yielding means tending to press the upper and lower journal boxes together to yieldingly press the cutting edges and surfaces together, and means for permitting one of said supporting structures to yield laterally whereby to permit yielding lateral separation of the rollers to compensate for the varying thicknesses of the quills of'feathers passing through the rollers.

9. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination with means presenting a hard surface, a moving member having a cutting edge continuously cooperating with said surface to cut barbs from feathers passed between said edge and surface, and means for automatically causing said cutting edge to move in conformity with the contour of the quills of the feathers during debarbing thereof.

V 10. In a feather 'debarbing machine, opposed rotary members, one of said members presentinga backing surface and-the o her member having a cutting edge in a plane at a considerable angle with said surface for cooperating 'with said surface toi'propel feathers and to sever the barbs-therefrom during such propulsion. 11. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of a rotary member having a peripheral backing surface for barbs 'of feathers, a rotary cutter member having a cutting edge presented to said surface, and means for rotating said members at uniform peripheral speed whereby the engagement of said barbs between said surface and cutting edgewill cause propulsion ofthe feathers and cutting of the barbs therefrom.

12. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of rollers, one of which has a cutting edge presented to a surface of the other'at' a considerable angle to sever by pressure the barbs of feathers passed be tween the rollers."

"'13. In a feather debarbing machine, the combination of two conical rollers, the base plane of one rollerbeingofiset axially with reference-to the base plane of the other roller whereby the base edge of the one roller will engage with the conical-surface of the other roller, and'meai'is for rotating said 'rollersto cause severing by pressure of the barbs of feathers fed between said conical surface and edge. I

l4. 7 In a feather de-barbing machine, means comprising a surface and a cutter disk having a peripheral cutting ecge and positioned for rolling and pressure engagement withsaid surface to propel feathers between said surface and edge andto cut'barbs therefrom. v i

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of August, A. D; 1916.

sIMoN COOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Connnissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. c. r 

